Coming In From The Cold
by screaming-poetically
Summary: Post “Stuck On You.” Danny knows the new girl’s wrong when she says that maybe he doesn’t know Mac as well as he thinks he does. MacDanny.


**Title:** Coming In From The Cold  
**Summary:** Post "Stuck On You." Danny knows the new girl's wrong when she says that maybe he doesn't know Mac as well as he thinks he does. MacDanny.  
**Disclaimer:** The names of all characters contained herein are the property of Anthony Zuiker, Jerry Bruckheimer Television, CBS and Alliance Atlantis. No infringements of these copyrights are intended, and are used here without permission.  
**A/N:** First attempt at MacDanny slash. Written on request for karaokegal at LJ.  
**Rating:** T

**Coming In From The Cold**

When Montana tells him to meet her at the club cause she's got something to show him, Danny does. He's been to the club before, he goes sometimes just for a lark. Mac doesn't like it, says it makes him nervous when he sings. But you know, that's okay because Danny sure makes it up to Mac later. But when the big news Montana has to share is, well, that Mac is singing…

Danny plays along. It's not as if he and Mac are advertising their relationship. If that's even what you want to call it. Danny doesn't even know what it is. They don't go on dates or anything, that's for chicks. It's more like they just…come together. Mac and Danny just have this innate understanding of each other and it's something he's really grateful for. He might even go so far as to say that he loves Mac, but he won't go that far, not if he can help it.

Lindsay is smiling at him, something she does rather often, and Danny considers her. He knows that if he were straight she would be something he'd go for. She's clean and wholesome and some kind of wonderful. But, thing is, she's certainly not Mac. She don't know his secrets and his ghosts, and what scars lie on his heart. Mac was the one who came to him after the whole mess with Tanglewood and kissed him, kissed him _so good_, and after that he knew there was nothing to worry about. After that there was no going back.

After all, what's there to worry about when you have someone holding you dear?

Later that night Danny waits outside Mac's apartment; he had driven Lindsay home and come here quick as possible. He wonders when Mac will come, it's not that late, really, and besides Mac should be done at the club by now. Jazz isn't nearly as important as your boyfriend, right? Not that Danny is Mac's boyfriend. They're careful not to use those titles. When they're together, it's just Mac, and just Danny. They're nothing more than that although sometimes if Danny allows himself to think on it he knows, just knows, that he wants some level of commitment from his boss.

But because he knows where Mac's spare key is (always under the doormat) he lets himself in and waits. When Mac arrives at half past eleven he's so goddamn tired but he needs to know, needs to know if what Lindsay said has any truth to it.

"_Maybe you don't know him as well as you think."_

Mac presses a soft kiss to the sensitive skin on Danny's neck and the young CSI pulls himself further into Mac's embrace, murmuring quietly how glad he is to be here, right in this moment.

"Mac, do I know you?" he asks.

Mac pulls away, his hands still resting on Danny's hips.

"What do you mean, Danny?"

"It's just, Lindsay…She figured out the whole jazz thing in a day. She said maybe I don't know you as well as I think I do and even though I know more of you than Lindsay realizes, I can't help but think…maybe she's right. Maybe I don't know you."

And when Danny says that it only took Lindsay a day to figure out that Mac played jazz, it's true; it took Danny himself five years to get into Mac's good graces of knowing various things about his life and one year more to get where he is now, in Mac's arms.

"You do know me, Danny," Mac says carefully, "sometimes better than I know myself. I don't like it sometimes but I have to deal with it because, hey, it's worth having someone who knows you inside and out if you know you can't lose them. And I can't afford to lose another person that I love, Danny."

A slow, slow grin crosses Danny's face and Mac knows he's in trouble now because he was never able to resist that grin. Still isn't, if he's honest with himself.

"You love me, Mac?"

Danny nuzzles Mac's neck and his hands work their way across Mac's chest, caressing softly. Mac's reply comes out a strangled sigh.

"Danny…love you."

This gives Danny all the strength he needs to claim Mac's mouth with his own, gentle at first but then the kiss turns all desire—tongues and lips and breath mingling. Danny's clutching at Mac's shirt and while for a long time he thought everything was lost, now he has cause to think everything will be alright again. They part and even though it seemed that time had stopped, both find they have to gasp for breath. That's a metaphor for so many things in life but right now Danny doesn't want to think like that, he only wants to think of Mac.

"Love you too," Danny says softly. "Love you too."

_finis._


End file.
